John 7:15
“And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?”
We live in days when education seems to be a greatest emphasis. The world system pushes the importance of getting a good education. Political opponents run on the ticket of wanting to improve education. Pastors from all different backgrounds argue of the importance of education. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with getting an education.
The enemies of Jesus Christ seemed to wonder about how He learned what He taught. They knew that He had no college education. They knew that He did not sit under a tutor to be educated in the Scriptures. In fact they said, “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” These men who were criticizing him knew very well that He never went to an institution of higher learning because they all attended those institutions or were on the boards of those places and Jesus’ name was not in any of the transcripts. Yet, somehow Jesus confounded these men of higher learning with His knowledge of the Scriptures.
According to the Scriptures, you don’t have to have a college education to achieve a higher education. This devotional is in no way taking away the importance of getting a good education, but Jesus made it very clear how to get a higher education. You may not have a college degree to talk about, but if you will follow Jesus’ advice you can achieve a higher education. Let me show you three things how Jesus says to achieve higher education.
First, learn doctrine. The first thing Jesus talked about in verse 16 is doctrine. He says, “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.” It is important that Christians learn the doctrines of the Scriptures. Just doing something because your preacher says to do it is not good enough. Doing something because your parents taught you to do it or because that is how you have always done it is not good enough. You need to study the Scriptures to learn It’s doctrines.
Second, to achieve a higher eduction, you must do the will of God. Verse 17 says, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine…” You cannot know the doctrines of God’s Word and their application without doing His will. In other words, having a head knowledge of doctrine is not enough, but you must take the head knowledge and apply it by serving the LORD. A soul winner is going to know how doctrine applies better than one who never goes soul winning. This can be said about anything you are commanded to do. Doing God’s will opens your understanding of doctrine.
Third, doctrine is the greatest truth detector one can use to sift out false doctrine. You hear of people taking a lie detector test to see if they are lying, but God says that doctrine is the greatest truth detector test. He says in verse 17, “…he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” When you learn doctrine and then apply it through serving God, then you will more easily be able to detect those things which will pull you away from God’s Word.
Friend, one can never over emphasize the importance of learning the doctrines of God’s Word. You don’t have to have a Bible college degree to have a higher education, you just need to learn doctrine, apply it and let the learned doctrine which you understand be the truth detector of everything taught. Stop relying on what man says and rely on what God says by learning His doctrine. This will keep you in the faith and will keep you from compromise.